Coupling elements for telegraph transmitter



Oct. 5, 1965 A. E. HEINIG COUPLING ELEMENTS FOR TELEGRAPH TRANSMITTER 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec.

INVENTOR ARTHUR E. HEINIG ATTORNEY v Oct. 5, 1965 A. E. HElNlG 3,210,469

COUPLING ELEMENTS FOR TELEGRAPH TRANSMITTER Filed D80. 20, 1945 2Sheets-Sheet 2 m a? 42mm ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,210,469COUPLING ELEMENTS FOR TELEGRAPH TRANSMHTTER Arthur E. Heinig, Chicago,11]., assignor to Teletype Corporation, Chicago, 11]., a corporation ofDelaware Filed Dec. 20, 1945, Ser. No. 636,216 9 Claims. (Cl. 178-42)This invention pertains to printing telegraph apparatus and moreparticularly to apparatus for recording information in plain orenciphered form.

A principal object of the invention is to provide simple, compact andreliable facilities in telegraph apparatus for converting messages fromciphered form to intelligible form and vice versa to facilitate thesecret communication of messages.

Another object of the invention is to provide a telegraph transmittingdevice for rendering messages unintelligible to unauthorized persons.

Signaling systems are desirable for naval, military, and civil purposeswherein it is required that messages be rendered unintelligible topersons unauthorized to receive them. surreptitious interception ofmessages may be accomplished by unauthorized persons, for example, inthe case of wire communications by tapping signal wires, and in radiocommunication by means of receiving apparatuses tuned to the properfrequencies.

In order to encipher messages by the present system with which thepresent apparatus is utilized, the elements of the code combinations ofthe original intelligible message are combined with the elements of codecombinations provided by a ciphering device or maze. According to theprinciples of the present invention, opposite signaling conditionsproduce a marking signal, that is, with one impulse element of theoriginal code combination marking and with the corresponding impulseelement of the key code combination of spacing nature, then theresultant signal impulse is of marking nature. On the other hand,however, like signaling conditions, that is, with both impulse elementsmarking or both elements of spacing nature, produce spacing signals.This presumes, of course, that each of the elements of the respectivecode combinations are related to each other. That is, the No. 1 elementof the original code combination is combined with the No. 1 element ofthe key code combination, and so forth. To take a specific illustration,let it be assumed that it is desired to encipher the character R whichin the Baudot code is composed of spacing, marking, spacing, marking,and spacing conditions. Let it be further assumed that the code wheelsof the ciphering device with which the particular enciphering operationis to be performed occupy such a position whereat it is conditioned forproducing the letter Y combination which in the Baudot code is composedconsecutively of marking, spacing, marking, spacing, and markingconditions. Under the assumed conditions, the enciphering operationwould result in the production of an all marking or letters combination,since in this particular illustration opposite conditions of all therelated elements of R and Y code combinations are provided. This will bereadily apparent from the following chart wherein the letter M indicatesa marking condition and the letter S indicates a spacing condition:

It is understood that both the transmitting and receiving stations of atelegraph system will be equipped with ice identical ciphering devices,the code wheels of which during message transmission Will occupyidentical positions. During transmission the code wheels of theciphering devices are rotated or stepped between characters to modifythe key signal, but both sets of code wheels occupy the samecorresponding position at all times. A station which receives encipheredsignals is thus enabled to decipher the unintelligible signalstransmitted over the telegraph line by combining enciphered signals withkey signals provided by the ciphering device or maze.

To illustrate a deciphering operation, the example given above inconnection with the enciphering operation will be continued and it willbe assumed that a receiving station received the enciphered signal;namely, Letters. The Y combination provided by the ciphering device atthe receiving station can now be combined with the re ceived Letterscombination to decipher the enciphered signal to therebyreproduce theoriginal signal R, as clearly shown in the following chart:

The transmitter, receiver, and ciphering device according to the presentinvention are associated and combined through the medium of electriccircuits whereby various communication conditions may be readilyestablished. Through suitable switching means, conditions can be set upfor communicating secret messages, plain English messages, encipheringor deciphering. In the method of transmitting secret messages, not onlyis the message enciphered but also the spacing mechanism is conditionedto insert automatically an extra space every fifth character.

Reference is made to copending applications Serial No. 623,215 andSerial No. 636,217 filed on December 20, 1945 by T. O. Przysiecki and S.Janiszewski, respectively, covering other apparatus used in the systemembodying the present invention.

A more comprehensive understanding of the invention may be had byreference to the following detailed description when considered inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein,

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view, partly in section, of thetransmitting mechanism according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmental perspective view of the transmitting contactoperating mechanism;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the coupling element for the transmittercontact operating levers;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the transmitting unit;

FIG. 5 is a view showing the transmitter clutch mechanism; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmental view showing a brake mechanism for thetransmitter shaft.

The transmitting device is shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, inclusive, andcomprises a base portion 301 which houses a group of key levers 302which are pivotally supported in well known manner in the housing 301and are spring held in their upward position and are also provided withkeytops (not shown) arranged in a bank similar to a teletype keyboard.Positioned below the key levers 302 and directed transversely thereofare a series of code bars 303. The key levers 302 cooperate with the sawtoothed upper edges of the code bars 303 in well known manner to set thecode bars in varying permutations. Operatively connected to the codebars 303 through the instrumentality of pins or studs 304 are acorresponding series of levers 305 pivotally supported on a pivot shaft306. The upper end of each lever 305 carries a coupling element 307, thedisc portion 308 of which fits into the open ended slot in the extremityof the upper arm of the lever 305. Integral with the disc portion 308 ofcoupling element 307 is a rib portion 309 of rectangular cross section.Also, integral with the rib portion 309 and arranged perpendicularlytherewith and centrally thereof is a portion 311 of rectangular crosssection, which performs the dual function of retaining the coupling 307in slidable relation with lever 312 and also for cooperating with thedepending arm 349 of bell cranks 348 to control the closure of contacts319, as will presently appear.

Levers 305 are pivotally articulated to a corresponding series ofcontact operating levers 312 by means of said coupling elements 307(FIG. 2). To achieve this result the horizontal arm of lever 312 isprovided with an openended slot 313 which is adapted to receive theportion 309 of coupling element 307. Levers 312 are pivotally mounted ona pivot shaft 314 and each lever is provided with a cam follower arm 315and a contact operating arm 316. Normal counterclockwise bias isimparted to levers 312 by individual springs 317. Secured to each arm316 is an insulator 318 which cooperates with individual contacts 319 ofa series of transmitting contacts. Cooperating with the cam followerarms 315 are a corresponding series of transmitting cams 321 carried ona shaft 322.

The power for operating the apparatus according to the present inventionis derived from a motor (not shown) through a pinion 323 mounted on theshaft 324 thereof. This power is transmitted through gear 325 to shaft322. Also fixed to shaft 322 is a gear 326 which serves the dual purposeof transmitting power through gear 327 to shaft 24 of the printer unit,and also through gear 328 to shaft 329.

Cams 321 are carried on a sleeve 331 which is operatively connected toshaft 322 through a clutch 332, comprising a gear 333, secured to thecam sleeve 331 and a gear 334 secured to shaft 322. Pivotally carried ona lug 335 on sleeve 331 is a main pawl 336 and an auxiliary pawl 337which are normally biased clockwise by a spring 338. Associated withpawls 336 and 337 is a trip-off mechanism comprising a trip-off lever339 having a depending portion similar to the depending arm of thecontact control levers 305, which cooperates with a pair of studssimilar to studs 304, on the universal code bar. Resting on the shoulder341 of trip-off lever 339 is the horizontal arm of a clutch releaselever 342, the vertical arm of which cooperates with pawl-336 to holdpawls 336 and 337 out of operative engagement with gears 333 and 334.Upon operation of any key lever 302, the universal bar is also actuated,as is well known, to impart counterclockwise rotation to lever 339 toeffect the disengagement of shoulder 341 from lever 342 to permit spring343 to bias lever 342 clockwise to disengage the vertical arm thereoffrom pawl 336. Springs 338 will be thereupon effective to engage pawls336 and 337 with gears 333 and 334, to effect a single rotation of camsleeve 331. An arm 344 is cooperatively related to lever 342 to effect,through the instrumentality of a cam on cam sleeve 331, counterclockwiserotation of lever 342 to effect the re-engagement of the horizontal armwith the shoulder 341.

Provision has been made to limit the rotation of clutch 332 to a singlerotation, in the event a key lever 302 is held depressed. To achievethis result a lever 345 is provided which is mounted on pivot 306 and isprovided with a shoulder 346 adapted to confront shoulder 341. Shoulder346 is disposed at a slightlyhigher level than shoulder 341, so thatfollowing a normal release of lever 342 by the operation of a key lever302 and the return thereof by arm 344 and with the key lever helddepressed, lever 342 will engage shoulder 346, and then when the keylever is released the end of lever 342 rides off shoulder 346 ontoshoulder 341, thus preventing lever 342 from escaping, except upon inresponse to a further operation of a key lever.

The cam notches 347 of cams 321 are disposed around the cam sleeve 331in a helical manner, so that the transmitter contacts 319 are operatedsequentially. Cooperating with the contact levers 312 are acorresponding plurality of bell crank levers 348, each having adepending arm 349, adapted to cooperate with portion 311 of the couplingelements 307, and a horizontal arm 351 adapted to cooperate with thearmature 352 of an associated ciphering magnet 353. As will hereinafterappear, the energization of the ciphering magnets 353 is under thecontrol of the ciphering unit 14. The signal transmitted by the contacts319 is determined under the joint control of code bars 303 and cipheringmagnets 353, in the manner disclosed in copending application Serial No.513,375, filed December 8, 1943, in the name of A. H. Reiber, deceased.

Bell crank levers 348 are normally biased in a clockwise direction aboutpivot shaft 354 by individual springs 355. However, levers 348 areperiodically actuated to their counterclockwise position, shown in FIG.1, by a bail 356 which is operated by a lever 357 actuated by a cam (notshown) carried on shaft 322. After levers 348 have been actuated totheir counterclockwise position by bail 356, they will be retained inthis position by armatures 352 if magnets 353 are deenergized as shownin FIG. 1. If certain of the magnets 353 are energized, the armature 352thereof will be swung out of the path of the shoulder or arm 351 of itsassociated lever 348, so that spring 355 is thereby enabled to rotatelever 348 to its clockwise position.

Thus, if a lever 305 is actuated to its counterclockwise position andits associated lever 348 is actuated to its clockwise position, thenmovement of lever 312 in a counterclockwise direction under the pull ofspring 317, to close its contact 319 will be prevented because portion311 will be blocked by arm 349. A similar condition will result if alever 305 is actuated to its clockwise position and its associated lever348 is actuated to its counterclockwise position. However, if the levers305 and 348 assume the positions shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, or vice versa,then the movement of levers 312 will not be blocked by portion 311, andthe contact 319 will consequently be closed.

Power is imparted to shaft 329 by gear 328 through the instrumentalityof clutch mechanism 358 (FIGS. 1 and 5). The clutch mechanism 358comprises the clutch magnet 271, the armature 359 of which controls aclutch release lever 361 pivotally mounted at 362. Upon energization ofmagnet 271, the armature 359 is attracted, thereby permitting spring 363to bias lever 361 clockwise. A pin 364 carried by lever 361 acts uponarm 365 of a 3-arm lever 366 pivoted at 367. The extremity of arm 365cooperates with a pawl 368 of clutch 358. A spring 369 stretched betweenpin 364 and the end of an arm 371 of lever 366 whereby a normalclockwise bias is imparted to lever 366, to return arm 365 intoarresting relation with pawl 368. The third arm 372 of lever 366 servesto provide a means for manually releasing the clutch 358 for rotation,as will hereinafter appear.

Upon the automatic release of clutch 358, as previously described, thepawl 368 is rotated counterclockwise about its pivot 377 to bring itstooth 378 into engagement with the constantly rotating driving gear 379through the instrumentality of a spring 381. Pawl 368 carries adjacentthe tooth 378, a pin 382 which cooperates with a second pawl member 383.Pawl 383 is also biased by a spring 381 so that when pawl 368 is rotatedby its spring 381 the pawl 383 will follow along whereby pawls 368 and383 are permitted to grasp a tooth on the driving gear. Pawl 383 alsofunctions to prevent overrunning of the clutch. The plate 384 on whichthe pawls 368 and 383 are carried is provided with a cam surface 385which cooperates with a follower arm portion 390 of lever 361 so thatprior to the completion of a cycle of rotation, the arm 365 will bereturned to its position of blocking pawl 368. A detent lever 386pivoted at 362 and spring-biased by a spring 387 cooperates with a pin388 carried on plate 384 to prevent chattering of the clutch 358.

Having reference to FIG. 4, a contact bank 392 is carried on the frameof the transmitter unit, which contacts are controlled by a lever 393,the upper end of which is shown in FIG. 4.

Clamped to shaft 329 is a crank member 396 (FIG. 5) which carriesthereon a stud 397 on which is pivotally supported a link 398 which isthe operative connection between the transmitter unit and the cipheringunit, as shown in copending application Serial No. 636,217, now US.Patent No. 2,802,463, filed Dec. 20, 1945, by S. Janiszewski.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown in thedrawings and described in the foregoing specification, it will beunderstood that the invention is not limited to this embodiment but iscapable of modification and rearrangement without departing from thespirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a secret code transmitter, a series of elements, means for settingsaid elements permutably according to a signal of plain English, acorresponding series of members set in permuted position according to anenciphering code, means including a group of contact controlling leversto transmit an enciphered signal, and coupling members for pivotallyarticulating said elements to said contact controlling levers, saidcoupling members being provided with a disc portion having a firstintegral diametric portion, a second diametric portion integral withsaid first diametric portion at the point of intersection thereof,cooperating extremities of said series of elements and said leversprovided with open ended slots to receive said coupling members, wherebysaid coupling members function dually to pivotally interlock eachelement of said series of elements and associated ones of said contactcontrolling levers and to have a blocking or nonblocking relationshipwith said corresponding series of members.

2. In a secret code transmitter, a series of elements, means for settingsaid elements permutably according to a signal of plain English, acorresponding series of members set in permuted position according to anenciphering code, means including a group of contact controlling leversto transmit an enciphered signal, and coupling elements, each couplingelement comprising in a unitary structure a disc portion, a firstdiametric rib integral therewith, and a second diametric ribperpendicular to said first rib and integral therewith at the point ofintersection thereof, cooperating extremities of said series of elementsand said levers provided with open ended slots to receive said couplingelements, whereby said coupling ele ments function dually to pivotallyinterlock each element of said series of elements and associated ones ofsaid contact controlling levers and to have a blocking or nonblockingrelationship with said corresponding series of members.

3. In a transmitter, a series of elements, means for setting saidelements permutably according to a signal to be transmitted, meansincluding a group of contact controlling levers to transmit said signal,and coupling elements, each coupling element comprising in a unitarystructure a disc portion, a first diametric rib integral therewith, anda second diametric rib perpendicular to said first rib and integraltherewith at the point of intersection thereof, cooperating extremitiesof said series of elements and said levers provided with open endedslots to receive said coupling elements, whereby said coupling elementsfunction to pivotally interlock each element of said series of elementsand associated ones of said contact controlling levers.

4. In a secret code transmitter, a series of elements, means for settingsaid elements permutably according to a signal of plain English, acorresponding series of members set in permuted position according to anenciphering code, means including a group of contact controlling leversto transmit an enciphered signal, and coupling elements, each couplingelement comprising in a unitary structure a disc portion, a firstdiametric rib integral therewith, and a second diametric ribperpendicular to said first rib and integral therewith at the point ofintersection thereof, cooperating extremities of said series of elementsand said levers provided with open ended slots to receive said couplingelements, whereby said coupling elements function dually to pivotallyinterlock each element of said series of elements and associated ones ofsaid contact controlling levers and to permit universal slidablerelationship therebetween as determined by the permuted setting of saidseries of members.

5. In a code transmitter, a series of elements, means for setting saidelements permutably according to a code signal to be transmitted, meansincluding a group of contact controlling levers to transmit said codesignal, and coupling elements, each comprising in a unitary structure adisc portion, a first diametric rib integral therewith, and a seconddiametric rib perpendicular to said first rib and integral therewith atthe point of intersection thereof, the upper end of each of said seriesof elements provided at its extremity with an open ended slot toslidably receive the disc portion of said coupling element, the arm ofsaid contact controlling lever cooperating with said elements providedwith an open ended slot to slidably receive said first diametric rib,whereby said second diametric rib acts to retain associated ones of saidelements and levers in cooperative relationship with each other toprovide a universal connection therebetween.

6. In a code transmitter, a series of elements, means for setting saidelements permutably according to a code signal to be transmitted, meansincluding a group of contact controlling levers to transmit said codesignal, and coupling elements, each coupling element comprising in aunitary structure a disc portion and a pair of ribs perpendicularlydisposed to each other, one of said ribs functioning to space the otherof said ribs from said disc portion, cooperating extremities of saidseries of elements and said levers provided with open ended slots toreceive said coupling elements, whereby said coupling elements functiondually to pivotally interlock each element of said :series of elementsand associated ones of said contact controlling levers and to permituniversal slidable relationship therebetween.

7. In a secret code transmitter, a series of elements, means for settingsaid elements permutably according to a signal of plain English, acorresponding series of members set in permuted position according to anenciphering code, means including a group of contact controlling leversto transmit an enciphered signal, and coupling elements, each couplingelement comprising in a unitary structure a disc portion and a pair ofribs perpendicularly disposed to each other, one of said ribsfunctioning to space the other of said ribs from said disc portion,cooperating extremities of said series of elements and said leversprovided with open ended slots to receive said coupling element's,whereby said coupling elements function dually to pivotally interlockeach element of said series of elements and associated ones of saidcontact controlling levers and to permit universal slidable relationshiptherebetween as determined by the permuted setting of said series ofmembers.

8. In combination, a first series of levers, a second series of levers,each of said first series of levers adapted to associate with one ofsaid second series of levers, and coupling elements therefor, eachcoupling element comprising in a unitary structure a disc portion, afirst diametric rib integral therewith, and a second diametric ribperpendicular to said first rib and integral therewith at the point ofintersection thereof, cooperating extremities of said first and secondseries of levers provided with open ended slots to receive said couplingelements, whereby said coupling elements function dually to pivotallyinterlock associated ones of said first and second series of levers.

9. In a code transmitter, a series of elements, means for setting saidelements permutably according to a code signal to be transmitted, eachof said elements provided with an open-ended slot at its upperextremity, a group of contact controlling levers to transmit said codesignals, each of said levers having an arm cooperable with an associatedone of said elements, said arm also provided with an opened-ended slot,and a coupling element for 8 each of said elements and its associatedlever comprising in a unitary structure a disc portion adapted to beslidably received by said first-mentioned open-ended slot, a firstdiametric rib integral therewith adapted to be slidably received by saidsecond-mentioned open-ended slot, and a second diametric ribperpendicular to said first rib and integral therewith at the point ofintersection thereof, whereby said second diametric rib acts to retainan element and its associated lever in cooperative relation with eachother to provide a universal connection therebetween.

No references cited.

NEIL C. READ, Primary Examiner.

NEWTON N. LOVEWELL, JAMES E. KEELY,

HILLEL MARANS, Examiners.

1. IN A SECRET CODE TRANSMITTER, A SERIES OF ELEMENTS MEANS FOR SETTINGSAID ELEMENTS PERMUTABLY ACCORDING TO A SIGNAL OF PLAIN ENGLISH, ACORRESPONDING SERIES OF MEMBERS SET IN PERMUTED POSITION ACCORDING TO ANENCIPHERING CODE, MEANS INCLUDING A GROUP OF CONTACT CONTROLLING LEVERSTO TRANSMIT AN ENCIPHERED SIGNAL, AND COUPLING MEMBERS FOR PIVOTALLYARTICULATING SAID ELEMENTS TO SAID CONTACT CONTROLLING LEVERS, SAIDCOUPLING MEMBERS BEING PROVIDED WITH A DISC PORTION HAVING A FIRSTINTEGRAL DIAMETRIC PORTION, A SECOND DIAMETERIC PORTION INTEGRAL WITHSAID FIRST DIAMETRIC PORTION AT THE POINT OF INTERSECTION THEREOF,COOPERATING EXTREMITIES OF SAID SERIES OF ELEMENTS AND SAID LEVERSPROVIDED WITH OPEN ENDED SLOTS TO RECEIVE SAID COUPLING MEMBERS, WHEREBYSAID COUPLING MEMBERS FUNCTION DUALLY TO PIVOTALLY INTERLOCK EACHELEMENT OF SAID SERIES OF ELEMENTS AND ASSOCIATED ONE OF SAID CONTACTCONTROLLING LEVERS AND TO HAVE A BLOCKING OR NONBLOCKING RELATIONSHIPWITH SAID CORRESPONDING SERIES OF MEMBERS.